I disconnected my phone from the hub, leaving the small transmitter module I had brought plugged into the switch.

It would keep the tunnel open even if they cut the primary lines, running on a cellular backup.

I walked back to the service elevator.

It was a cage-like lift used by the construction crews, open to the elements on one side.

I stepped inside and pressed the button for the 40th floor.

The motor groaned, a low, mechanical rumble that vibrated through the soles of my shoes.

The elevator began its slow ascent.

As we cleared the lower floors, the walls gave way to open air, protected only by orange safety netting.

The wind howled through the steel beams, spraying cold rain across my face.

Below me, the city lights stretched out like a glittering carpet of gold and white.

The river looked like a black ribbon cutting through the concrete.

My stomach tightened as the lift climbed higher.

I was going to meet a man who had almost killed me once.

But this time, I wasn’t running.